Secondly, I shall now speak of the tarrying of the bridegroom, ' While the bridegroom tarried.' What ! is Christ more backward than the church, that goeth forth to meet him ? They are ready with their lamps, but he delayeth his coming.
Ans. 1. Some understand it of our opinion, not the reality of the tiling. Though Christ come always with the soonest, yet to us he seemeth to tarry. Why ? Because earnest desires crave a present satisfaction, and ' hope deferred maketh the heart sick,' Prov. xiii. 12; and Prov. x. 26, 'As vinegar to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes, so- is the sluggard to them that send him.' Expectation is in itself tedious, especially when accompanied with difficulties. Certainly being accompanied with present troubles, it is more tedious. The flesh groweth impatient after its own ease ; and in this sense the bride- groom is not slack, but we are hasty. I do observe it the rather, because the same happeneth when we expect Christ to help us in our particular distresses. Because of the impatiency of the flesh, and the levity of our minds, and the weariness of expectation, the time seemeth
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long. There is our lime, and Christ's time. Our time is always with us, but his time is not come: Jer. xiv. 19, ' We looked for peace, and there is no good ; for the time of healing, and behold trouble.' In this sense Christ only seemeth to delay his coming. We are eager upon enjoyment, we would have it now.
Ans. 2. Really. He doth tarry, and suspends his coming. There is a great efflux of time between his ascension and second coming, and that for wise reasons.
1. That all this while there may be space for the world to repent. Mora sponsi poenitentice tempus est, saith Jerome : Eom. ii. 4, ' Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long- suffering ; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?' There is finis operis et operantis. Whatever God's intentions be, his dealings, his forbearance and long-suffering should lead us to repentance. God useth great patience to the wicked : Rom. ix. 22, ' Eudureth with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction.' So Rev. ii. 21, ' I gave her space to repent, and she repented not/ God giveth leave to repent, visible means to repent and space to repent, even there where he giveth not effectual grace. Wicked men abuse his patience, take encouragement from thence to run into all extravagancy ; but God's aim is to leave them with- out excuse.
2. That all the elect may be gathered : 2 Peter iii. 9, ' The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to us-ward ; not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.' God would have the world filled with mankind, and endure for many generations, till it come to that period which his providence hath appointed. And what is that period? Till all that belong to the election of his grace be brought in to him ; for all things are for the elect's sake. Now when his number is full, lie will come. These were not to be born all at once ; and it requireth time and pains to work upon each elect soul after they are come into the world : therefore ' he is not slack as men are slack.' Men's slow- ness in performing their promises cometh from their unwillingness, or backwardness to do the thing ; or from impotency and weakness, or want of foresight of all possible difficulties ; or else from their forget- fulness. None of these are in God : not forgetfulness ; for ' he is mindful of his people,' Ps. cxi. 5. He will not stay longer than the appointed time. Not backwardness ; for he waiteth, as well as you wait, for the fittest time, Isa. xxx. 18. Not from weariness ; for he can do whatever he will.
3. To exercise our patience to the full : Col. i. 24, ' Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you ; that fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in the flesh for his body's sake, which is his church.' Not as if Christ's personal sufferings for the redemption of sinners were imperfect, and so to be supplied by the sufferings of others : no; it is meant of Christ mystical. So the sufferings are not perfect, or filled up, till every member of his body endure their allotted portion and share. This cup goeth by course, and round : Christ first, we next. It goeth from hand to hand, while the world continueth : James i. 4, ' Let patience have its perfect work/ That cannot be but under
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great and long troubles. And as it is for the exercise of our patience, so to awaken our desires : 2 Peter iii. 12, ' Looking for and hastening to the coming of the day of God.' Hasten it by your prayers, and further the great works that are to be done before. God will not bestow heaven upon us as we lay on gilding and fair colours on wood or stone, that have no sense of it, nor desire of it ; but we must first groan, Eom. viii. 23.